SALISBURY, Md. - A 7-1 run over the final 11 minutes of the first half proved to be the difference as the No. 1-ranked and defending national champion Salisbury women's lacrosse team held off a late Stevenson rally en route to a 19-12 victory Sunday at Sea Gull Stadium.

The loss was the third for the Mustangs (5-3, 2-1 CAC) this season, all of which have come to teams ranked in the top 20 of the IWLCA Division III Poll, including two in the top five.

Led by two goals from Alyssa Fowler, the Sea Gulls scored the game's first five goals to take a 5-0 advantage with 17:02 remaining in the first half before Stevenson rallied with goals from freshman Leah Warner (Pasadena/Northeast), freshman Marissa Meiklejohn (Glen Burnie/Old Mill) and senior Lisa Baker (Westminster/Westminster).

With Salisbury leading 5-3, Aileen McCausland scored the first of seven-straight goals with 10:43 remaining in the first half that gave the Sea Gulls a nine-goal advantage with just under four minutes left. McCausland scored all three of her goals during the run while Roxanne Raab had two goals and one assist.

Salisbury (9-0, 3-0 CAC) scored three of the first four goals of the second half to take its largest lead of the game at 15-5 with 19:39 to play before Stevenson started a rally, scoring seven of the next 10 goals to pull within four at 18-12.

However, after Warner tied her career-high with her fourth goal and fifth point of the game, there was only 2:33 remaining and after Raab picked up her career-high sixth point with 1:29 to play, the Sea Gulls sealed their 52nd consecutive CAC victory.

Warner also had five points with four goals and one assist in a 17-3 CAC victory at Wesley on March 2. Baker finished with three goals and one assist while Meiklejohn tied her career-high with three goals, also set at Wesley on March 2.

Raab totaled three goals and three assists while Fowler, McCausland, Allie Wheatley and Lauren Feusahrens all had three goals apiece. Trish DiGirolomo scored one goal and dished out four assists.

Senior Jenny Schroeder (Severna Park/Seton Keough) had 10 saves in the loss and Julie Ann Caulfield had four in earning the win.

Stevenson hosts Marymount (Va.) in a CAC contest on Wednesday at Caves Athletics Complex. The game will be broadcast live on GoMustangSports.com and tape delayed on WBAL Plus at 11:00 p.m. WBAL Plus is available in the Baltimore area on digital 11-2, Comcast 208 and Verizon Fios 460.